The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1887-08-24

rider an act OF the hcgiSAatAiS
IN person to Washington, and after con
ferring with our delegation IN Congress q
| made an application, through Il an ~
Esq, rs the attorney lor nls
to make the selections iIoti Tug
field notes -the surveyor general : notes |
A petition was presented to the depart
ment by Mr.. Watson setting up the Isct
that the expenses of the governments oy
agents in adjusting the grant for a mlssls,
sippi would not be less than Sls,SVV, Ahu
that of the State at least S4o, ooo; thae
State agents were then paid from = 10
80 per cent, expenses horne by thetil'
Upon this petition was the following IN
1--WE concur in the view pre-
sented by the Governor OF MISSISSIPPI
in regard to the matter set toIth IN Tue
foregoing letter, and recognizing IT'S illi-
portance we earnestly hope that the 70
quest therein presented Will De com
piled with" That Endorsement was
signed by Senators Lamar and george
Congressman Manning, Jettords, Mui,
drow and Van Eaton. DIR. Grassy haa
been in that department, as understood;
for probably twenty years. l nag
several meetings with him and he Wanteq
125 per cent. for his services, Which
declined. ] finally said to him, when ne
had eventually agreed 10 perform the
labor for 81 cents per acre, that | coelu
not agree to that, but that l would give
him 4l cents per acre, PROVIDED tue
swamp land board on my return nome
concurred with me, when we would con-
tract with him, and that the amount
(4I mills) should be paid for the scrip
On my return the board thought the
compensation entirely reasonable, ana
FIVE times less expensive than the former
method. He CDR. Crissy) secured
patents for in the neighborhood OF
900, 900 acres of lands and indemnity Tor
47,7SS.73 acres, for which he has been
paid $11, 410.35 The patents have been
duly recorded in the office of the swamp
Land Commissioner. The land repre-
scented by that has been selling at s per
acre, the price being fixed By the board,
and a considerable amount has been
sold at that price. l sold the indemnity
scrip for S347, S3S.75; sold at 81 per
acre, which was 100 per cent. higher
than the minimum fixed by law, and
the amount was paid into the State
treasury. This is the DR.. j. l.. Crlssy
job, and no man who has regard Tor
truth, after reading this statement, will
ever refer to it again other than IN terms
of commentator.
Now, fellow-citizens, | asked your AT
tention for a moment longer in order
TO refer to this, and beg your indul-
gence to refer to one single other ques
ton, which shall be done briefly.
The question of pardons has been
occasionally referred to, and that the
Executive exercised that power conferred
upon him by the constitution oftener
than some gentlemen thought wise. L
have to say in that regard that the con
stitution and laws of this country confer
upon the Executive authority to grant
pardons except in cases of treason, ana
except in cases of fines and forfeitures,
where il is necessary, under the provi-
sions of the constitution, to have the
concurrence of the Senate. There have
been no pardons granted by me that l
am not ready at any time to make
answer to, and give any information
that is desired. 1t has been said that IN
the instance of Thomas H. Johnson, for
the killing of Bolton, that he was par
d0ned before trial. That is true, and /
stand here to day, declaring that l belong
to that race of men who, when a fact Is
made clear that a man had darkened the
life of pure and innocent girl; that
after being received Hospitality in the
household of family he consigned her
to everlasting darkness, disgraced her
family and all connected with her, that
when he commits that act he takes his
life in his hand and must pay the for
felt of his crime Such Is Southern
honor, and such is Endorsed in every
true Southern heart, and | am glad to
know that the distinguished Chief
Executive of Louisiana, Gov. McEnery,
has done as near the same thing as he
could, and publicly expressed his appro-
baton of my act. | have no apologies
to make for that. ! stand Cor the purity
and protection Of the womanhood of
Mississippi. | may GO and address an
audience of Mississippians. The man
or woman who feels any interest in any
pardon that has been granted by me can
rise up wherever they stand in the
audience and ask for an explanation, and
l am ready to give it frankly and with
out the slightest reservation. One of
the purest patriots, most accomplished
Jurists and greatest statesmen ever
born upon this continent, Daniel Web
ster, once said in a celebrated case where
he appeared for the Commonwealth:
"The criminal law is not founded in
desire for vengeance; it does not punish |
that it may inflict suffering; the human
ity of the law feels and regrets every |
pain it causes, every hour of restraint it |
imposes and every life it forfeits"
You have been so indulgent that |
am going to ask for a single moment |
more, and | will promise you that ] will |
not tax your kindness again for a long /
while to come. You hear it frequently |
stated that we must suppress the festive |
pistol. In this statement fully concur. !
| had occasion in 1884 TO say that & |
fruitful source of crime is the too |
prevalent habit of carrying concealed |
weapons" Impulses are often born of |
opportunities, and 1t frequently happens
that the possession of pistol presents
strong temptation to its unlawful use.
In my opinion the most efficient remedy
for the evil of carrying concealed
weapons is to make their use to Kill or
attempt to kill crime not admitting of
defense; so that if killing or attempting
to kill Is by means of a weapon drawn
from concealment there shall be no
excuse or justification. If one could
not under any circumstances lawfully
use deadly weapon, carried in conceal
AAShb oAA HIS llStoDii, Ht Wouii Nc&-G 70 |
carry it, tor it would be useless.
The penal consequences are braved be
cause the violation of law in carrying
weapon concealed is not an element of the
crime and works no prejudice on trial for
t. But If the use or attempt to use such
weapon was itself crime, the induce
nent to carry it would be crime Few
will carry that which they dare not use,
md the evil will be diminished by the
greater certainty of punishment. Let
here be no more carrying of concealed
pistols. If one is sought to be carried
ct 1t be done without cOncealment, and
Tou will find that it will take a brave
nan to accomplish that feat
Now, fellow-c: items, / believe that I
rave discussed the several questions that
proposed to submit for your considera-
ion. / have endeavored to do so intel
igently and as far as in my power to
equaint you with all the matters about
which / have spoken. | want to say now
hat am ready at any and all times to
ct in concert with the Legislative De-
'artment of the Government to bring :
bout all needed reforms by that wise
nd judicious legislation which should
e adopted during the coming winter. /
n the meantime l desire to say to the c
eople of this great county of Warren, 9
nd am greatly their debtor, that | I
hall endeayor in the future, as | have r
the past, to serge my State with j
deity; that | have never failed to b
espond to her call, and as long as this t
cad is hot, this heart throbs and this
ght hand can be raised, whenever b
lississippi makes her demands | will :
among those who will promptly re- 7
pond.
il